President Mary McAleese is to visit a charity set up by Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates in Seattle today as part of her visit to the United States and Canada.
She is visiting the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which funds HIV/Aids programmes, before being guest of honour at a dinner hosted by the Irish Professionals' Network.
The president is being joined in Seattle by a delegation of 29 Irish aeronautical and technological companies, and she will attend a number of business events hosted by Enterprise Ireland.
Mrs McAleese is accompanied on her trip by her husband, Dr Martin McAleese, and Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment Michael Ahern.
She has already visited Philadelphia, where she received an honorary degree from Villanova University.
Ms McAleese said she was privileged to receive the degree from the university - set up in 1842 by two Irish Augustinian priests, John Rosseter and Matthew Carr.